Of Secrets and Dresses
by Xennariel
Summary: The annual winter military ball is fast approaching, but Riza hates shopping for dresses. Roy runs into her and decides to join her in choosing something suitable for the event. Will he manage to help her make this a Winter Veil worth remembering? Or will dredging up old, painful memories ruin it?


This was my FMA Secret Santa gift for paintedladyspirit on Tumblr.

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Riza sighed for the third time since she had left her house that afternoon and tightened her scarf around herself in an attempt to combat the cold. She glanced in all the frosty shop windows that she passed along the snow covered street and frowned. Wreaths were hanging on every door, garland lined railings and roofs, and everything in Central was merry and bright, but there was nothing merry for Hawkeye when it came to dress shopping.

The annual winter military ball was in a week and, courtesy of Fuhrer Grumman, all attendees were given the option to wear formal clothes as opposed to their dress blues. He made it clear that he wanted to see Riza in something other than her uniform. Not wanting to upset the Fuhrer, who also happened to be her grandfather, she was forced to search for a dress that would be suitable to wear to such a formal event.

But dress shopping had never been an easy task for Riza. The dress had to meet her special requirements and few actually fit the bill. If they did, they usually were not flattering. She had learned to lower her standards long ago when it came to clothes shopping and it was why she rarely shopped for new clothes, much to her best friend Rebecca's disappointment. Many an outing was declined for reasons Riza always refused to disclose. Rebecca knew her friend was lying every time Riza made an excuse about why she couldn't or didn't want to go, but she was a good friend and never pushed Riza to explain herself.

There were far more elegant shops to choose from now that Riza lived in Central and it was actually the first time she had ever truly looked at them. She hadn't ever needed anything too fancy to wear since moving, so shopping in this part of town never crossed her mind. Now that an occasion presented itself, Riza realized she had no idea where to even start.

She almost ran into someone when a particular shop caught her attention and she quickly stepped closer to the building to avoid a collision.

"Excuse me," Riza said. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I noticed."

At hearing the familiar voice, Riza actually took a better look at the man she almost walked into. She found herself face to face with none other than her superior officer, Brigadier General Roy Mustang, grinning from behind his scarf. He chuckled at the surprise on her face.

"I thought you were working today, sir?"

"I was, but I managed to finish up my paperwork and got out early."

Riza eyed him skeptically.

"Why am I having a hard time believing that?"

It's true!" Roy exclaimed, pouting. "Anyway, what are you up to in this part of town?"

Riza sighed and looked back at the shop she had been distracted by.

"Trying to find a dress for next week. I'm afraid it's been a long time since I last shopped for anything very fancy and I'm not even sure if I'll find something appropriate…"

She didn't need to elaborate. Roy knew exactly what she was insinuating and he frowned.

"Nonsense, Captain," he said gently. "I'm sure we can find something that would suit you."

Riza turned back to Roy and raised a brow.

" _We_?"

Roy grinned again and nodded.

"Oh yes, now that I've run into you, I'd be more than delighted to help you look for something." Riza opened her mouth to protest, but Roy shook his head before she could say anything, opening the door to the shop and gesturing for her to go inside. "This looks like a good place to start. Now, let's get out of the cold."

Riza gave him a look, but said nothing as she entered the store, Roy following right behind.

Upon walking into the shop, they were greeted by a woman behind the counter who smiled at them, paying extra attention to Roy who shot the woman his trademark smolder. It was an act to which Riza paid no mind. It was his usual gimmick and she had learned to ignore it a long time ago. Besides, the man hadn't ever actually been on a date that wasn't with one of his sisters, and he always insisted that no one could ever hold a candle to her as far as he was concerned.

Riza was one of the few people who knew the real Roy Mustang. Despite his outward charm and suave personality, he was actually a dork and his attempts to flirt with her were almost always embarrassing and never worked. He could be such a ridiculous idiot sometimes, but somehow, it was one of the things about him that was so endearing to Riza.

The shopkeeper went back to work and Roy and Riza began scanning the racks for a dress that could potentially fit all of Riza's criteria. It was a large shop with quite a few options and Riza silently hoped this would be the only store they'd have to go to. It had barely been half an hour since she'd started her shopping trip, but she couldn't wait for it to be over so she could go home and curl up with a book a cup of tea.

The more they searched the store, the more it became apparent that the dresses that were in style that season, that would also work well for Riza, were slim pickings. For Riza's sake, Roy tried to remain optimistic. After a while, he split off from her to pluck a couple of dresses from a rack across the store that he thought would look good on her and when he wandered back toward his captain, he noticed her eyeing a particular dress wistfully. It was lavender silk with white accents and Roy was positive it would have looked wonderful on her, but as he got closer, he realized why she looked so somber.

The dress was strapless and had a sheer and lacy back, completely negating any possibility of her being able to wear it in public. Riza ran her hand over the fabric and sighed.

Roy frowned at the sight and stepped closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You should at least try it on," he murmured.

Riza looked up at him quickly and if she had been startled, she didn't show it. She simply shook her head and released the hem of the dress.

"No… It's not a style I like anyway."

Roy could tell she was lying, but Riza turned away and resumed perusing the other dresses and he understood the look she had given him all too clearly. Her decision was final and she did not want to discuss the subject any further. Roy sighed and followed after her. He knew the dress would look beautiful on her, but he wouldn't risk upsetting her further and didn't mention it again.

After what seemed like hours, they finally managed to find a dress that would cover all of Riza's back and, as an unexpected bonus, it was even good looking. Riza didn't bother trying it on, knowing it would fit and not wanting to spend any more time on something so stressful for her.

Roy offered to buy the dress she chose, but Riza wouldn't hear it, insisting that it was absolutely inappropriate. Roy couldn't argue with that and waited for her at the front of the store, opening the door for her when she was finished making her purchase, then following her out into the chilly afternoon.

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The first winter ball under Fuhrer Grumman's leadership was nothing short of extravagant. The decor, food, and drink were all top notch and Roy was thankful for the four bottles of wine at every table. He was pretty sure he was going to need an entire bottle to himself to get through the evening with how much attention Grumman was bringing to him. He'd also need to probably down another one thanks to the many women, single or not, that were clamoring to dance with him. He hadn't been at the gala for long and he had already danced with no fewer than five ladies. They were all lovely, but not at all his type.

And then he saw Riza walk in.

The red and white dress they had chosen looked lovely on her, just as he knew it would, with a high neck and long sleeves and the skirt falling just past her knees. Her hair was left down to cascade in golden waves over her shoulders and back, a band of holly adorning the crown of her head. Roy felt the sudden urge to walk over to her and run his fingers through the silky strands, but he forced himself to remain professional, simply nodding at her when their eyes met.

Riza returned his nod of acknowledgement then turned away, searching for a glass of champagne and an empty seat. It wasn't that Riza hated these sorts of parties. In fact, she quite enjoyed seeing her friends and co-workers in a setting outside of work, but she had never been fond of such formal gatherings. It could get exhausting having to deal with so many high ranking officials in a stuffy room for several hours. She would much rather have been home with Hayate spending the night in peace and quiet.

But, the Fuhrer _was_ her grandfather, despite only herself, Mustang, and Grumman knowing that little tidbit, and she felt like she could at least appease the old man by showing up. And with Roy being a brigadier general now, he needed someone to watch his back even more so than before. Generals had often been targets for assassination or kidnapping in the past. Just because they had defeated Father and took down the corrupt upper brass on the Promised Day months earlier didn't mean criminal activity would cease. There would always be people out to do harm to high ranking military officials, and a party where everyone had their guard down was the perfect opportunity for said criminals to act. But Riza would always be there to make sure Roy remained safe. It was her number one reason for attending these events every year.

No matter how busy the guests seemed to be keeping Roy, he continually stole glances at Riza throughout the night. All he wanted to do was sit down next to her and talk or dance with her as opposed to the seemingly endless line of others vying for his attention. But, he had a reputation to maintain, so he kept up his charming smile and accepted each request to dance. He knew Riza understood, but that didn't make it any easier for him to ignore her like he did. Keeping up the facade in front of her had always been something he hated and he vowed to himself that he would make it up to her one day.

The winter ball finally drew to a close and as the band prepared to play the final song of the evening, Roy sought out Riza, declining several women who asked to dance with him as he made his way to his captain. When he reached her, he smiled his first real smile that day and held out his hand. She blinked up at him, a small smile tugging at her red painted lips. Not a word needed to be said and she placed her hand in his. He led her to the dance floor with his hand resting on the small of her back, hers coming to rest on his shoulder. They took the familiar stance at the center of the ballroom, holding each other as close as they could without drawing too much attention. Roy grinned at her when the music began playing and she rolled her eyes at his playfulness when he began leading her in time to the music.

They swept across the floor with practiced ease. Riza's hair flowed out around her on every turn, tantalizing Roy to brush his hand through it, but again he held himself back, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He gazed softly and affectionately at her as they glided effortlessly past the other couples on the floor around them.

"Let me drive you home tonight," Roy muttered so only she could hear. "I have something I need to give you."

Riza narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Is it work related?"

Roy held back a sigh. He knew the only way she would ever agree to go to his place or let him go to hers was if the visit was related to work. Her reasoning was always that if someone happened to see them entering or leaving each other's apartments, they would have a legitimate excuse as to why they were together. The reason he wanted to drive her home that night was certainly not work related, but he couldn't tell her that so he shrugged instead and hoped she wouldn't argue.

"You could say that…"

Riza sighed, but nodded, still looking at him incredulously.

Roy grinned, happy she agreed, and as the last song of the evening came to an end, he pulled reluctantly away from her and led her through the crowd off the dance floor toward the exit. If they left now, no one would really notice as everyone else gathered their things and made to leave.

They arrived at Roy's car and Riza got into the driver's seat immediately. There was no way she was letting him drive if she had any say about it. He gave her a look, but she glared right back and he held his hands up in front of him in defeat and got into the passenger's seat.

The drive to Mustang's place was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. He seemed to be thinking about something and Hawkeye didn't want to disturb his thoughts so she stayed silent as she drove. The gentle glow of the street lamps reflected softly on the snow along the road and it gave the night a peaceful atmosphere. Riza briefly thought that she would be content just staying there next to Roy for the rest of her life, but pushed that out of her mind when she pulled up at the curb next to his apartment building. Roy realized where they were once the car stopped and he turned to Riza with a smile.

"Come up with me for a minute?"

Riza eyed him warily.

"Can't you just bring whatever it is down here?"

Roy sighed and pouted.

"No," he said, imploring her with his gaze. "it's nothing weird. I promise it won't take long. Besides, everyone important that could potentially see us is still at the ball."

Riza never could resist his pout for long and Roy knew it. She should have been angry with him for using that knowledge against her, but instead, she unbuckled her seatbelt and sighed.

"All right, I'll go in with you. But only for a few minutes."

Roy grinned and hopped out of the car, hurrying into his building with Riza in tow. He was acting like a giddy teenager and Riza almost laughed at him.

It wasn't long before they arrived at his home. He unlocked the door and gestured for her to come inside with a flourish. She smirked and shook her head at his antics, walking over the threshold and into his apartment. It was larger than hers, but didn't contain much more furniture than her own. A couch, coffee table, and dining table and chairs were the only things that filled the space besides the number of bookshelves lining the rest of the walls.

"Just a second," Roy said as he closed and locked the door and hurried over to the dining table, lifting a wrapped package and bringing it over to Riza in the living room. "For you. Happy Winter Veil."

Riza's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she slowly took the package he held out to her. His smile was soft now, but she could tell he was still excited about the gift. She placed the package on the coffee table and tore off the wrapping, glancing up at him every few seconds in confusion. Sure they got each other gifts for Winter Veil every year, but it was rarely anything very personal. They were always careful about the sorts of things they gave each other to keep up appearances. It was never anything they couldn't open in front of others. But Riza had the distinct feeling that this was different.

When she pulled the lid off of the box she almost gasped. She looked up at him quickly and then back down to the box a couple of times before she gingerly pulled out the lavender silk dress she had fallen in love with at the dress shop a week earlier.

"It's...It's lovely," she said, and she meant it, though her voice was soft with a tinge of sadness. "I love it. But why? Why would you get this? You know I can never wear it…"

"Well, would you wear it for _me_ sometime?"

Riza looked at him again and he was smiling at her so warmly, with so much affection, it almost broke her heart. She looked down at the dress in her arms and a hint of a smile found it's way to her lips.

"I suppose I could do that."

"Why don't you try it on?"

Riza nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. A while later she came back into the living room holding the dress up to herself.

"Would you zip me up?"

Roy smiled and nodded, holding back a gasp at how beautiful he thought she looked in the dress, even without it on properly yet. All those other women at the ball had nothing on her. Riza was gorgeous and lavender was definitely her color.

She turned her back to him and he frowned, a different wave of emotions suddenly washing over him. She had told him long ago to stop blaming himself for what she asked him to do to her back and, for her sake, he tried his best to not say anything. But every time he saw her scars, he couldn't help but feel guilty and terrible about what he did to her.

He took a deep breath and swallowed down any ill feelings or apologies he wanted to say. This was supposed to be a pleasant evening between them and he wouldn't ruin it for her by bringing up memories he knew she'd rather keep buried.

He finally had a chance to run his hands through her hair, like he'd been wanting to do all night, and so he took the opportunity to do so, enjoying the softness between his fingers before sweeping her hair to the side to zip up her dress. Though before he did, he placed a soft kiss to the scars on her shoulder. He couldn't help it. It would upset her if he voiced his apologies, but that didn't mean he couldn't convey his feelings through actions. He felt Riza stiffen as he pressed his lips to her skin, but she said nothing and, after a few lingering moments, he moved back and zipped her dress.

"There," he said, and she adjusted the dress before turning around to face him again.

This time, Roy did gasp, taking in a sharp breath and smiling widely.

"You look amazing," he said and Riza smiled, a faint blush tinging her cheeks.

"Thank you," she replied, her voice soft, but full of emotion.

Roy reached over and brushed her bangs from her eyes, his gaze turning sorrowful.

"I hate that what he did to you...What _I_ did to you, seems to run your life… You shouldn't have to hide yourself...At least not from me."

He shouldn't have said it, but it really wasn't fair. She was beautiful, every part of her, but she lived her life in a constant state of wariness, afraid of someone seeing her tattoo and scars.

Riza blinked up at him and frowned, dropping her gaze to the table beside her.

"I…It doesn't matter," Riza said through a sigh and absently ran her hands over the fabric clinging to her hips.

"I'm sorry," he said when he realized she was upset. "I shouldn't have said anything, I just…"

Roy took her hand gently and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"You're beautiful," he breathed, lips brushing the top of her head as he spoke. "I hope you know that."

He felt her take a shuddering breath, but when she pulled away and looked up at him again, she was smiling softly. He returned her smile and dropped his hand the small of her back.

"Dance with me?"

Riza's smile widened a bit and she nodded.

"Yes, sir, I would love to."

Roy held her close again and they found a slow rhythm. They swayed and twirled to music only they could hear as snow fell over the hushed city outside, beyond their warm embrace.

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Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this! Happy holidays!

(Did anyone recognize the World of Warcraft reference?)

A great big thanks to onceandalwaysenglishmajor on Tumblr for being my beta and ladywiltshire on Tumblr who also betaed for me and informed me that the color lavender represents love, devotion, and purity, which happens to be perfect for this. I hadn't known that until she asked if I used the color for any special reason. So yay for me for somehow subconsciously knowing that. lol


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